Fugees | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Discography | Fugees discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | Refugee Camp All-Stars |
| Members | |
| Website | thefugees |
TheFugees (/ˈfuːdʒiːz/) are an Americanhip hop group formed inSouth Orange, New Jersey in 1990. The trio ofWyclef Jean,Pras Michel, andLauryn Hill was known for their fusion of hip hop, reggae, R&B, and funk, theirsocially conscious lyrics, and use oflive instrumentation during their performances.[3][4] Their sound stood apart during thegangsta rap-dominated era, as they became one of the most significantalternative hip hop acts.[5][6] Their name, derived from "refugees", referenced Jean's immigrant background, Michel's Haitian heritage, and themes of resilience in their music, which occasionally incorporatedHaitian Creole.
After signing withRuffhouse Records, an imprint ofColumbia Records, in 1993, the Fugees released their debut albumBlunted on Reality (1994). Initially met with modest sales, it gained traction as they built a reputation in local clubs and talent shows. ProducerSalaam Remi remixed their songs "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab", with the former charting on theBillboard Hot 100, helping them gainunderground recognition. Their second album,The Score (1996), was a massive commercial success, spawning the hit singles "Fu-Gee-La", "Ready or Not", and their reimagined version of "Killing Me Softly", which topped the charts in over 20 countries worldwide. The album peaked at number one on theBillboard 200, was certified7× Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated forAlbum of the Year at theGrammy Awards, making it only the second rap album to receive the honor.[7] According toThe New York Times, its success placed the Fugees "at the forefront ofpop music".[6]
At their peak, the Fugees collaborated with various artists, appearing onSimply Red's "Angel",[8] and releasing "Rumble in the Jungle", which featuredBusta Rhymes,A Tribe Called Quest andJohn Forté, both of which reached the top five on theUK Singles Chart. They also collaborated withBounty Killer on therap opera single "Hip-Hopera". In 1997, they performed what was the largest staged concert in Haitian history, becoming one of the country's most significant musical events.[9] However, internal conflicts led to their disbandment later that year, with each member pursuing solo careers. They have reunited periodically,[10] including for tours and live performances, such as their appearance inDave Chappelle's Block Party (2005).
The Fugees have won twoGrammy Awards,[11] aBrit Award for International Group,[12] and theMedal of Honor fromHaitian PresidentRené Préval.[13][14] They are frequently ranked among the greatest rap groups,[15] withBillboard stating that they "contributed tothe diversification of Black identity in popular culture through potent rhymes that were equal parts conscious and commercially relevant".[16]VH1 named them among the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Artists (2003).[17]The Score was included inRolling Stone's500 Greatest Albums, while "Ready or Not" was recognized as one of theSongs That Shaped Rock and Roll by theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Lauryn Hill andPras first met atColumbia High School, inMaplewood, New Jersey. Pras, Lauryn, and a mutual friendMarcy Harriell formed a musical trio called Tyme; Pras' cousin,Wyclef Jean, joined the line-up and Marcy left soon afterward, in 1990.[18] The monikerTranzlator Crew refers to the name of their band at the time, which included Johnny Wise on drums, Ti Bass (Jerry Duplessis) on bass guitar, and original DJ Hard Hittin Harry (Harry D’Janite). DJ Leon (Leon Higgins) joined the group in 1994 after Harry left to pursue a career as a publicist.[19] In 1993, after some gigs and recorded demos, the trio signed toRuffhouse, distributed throughColumbia Records.[20] The members then changed the group's name toFugees, which was purposely taken from a word often used derogatorily to refer to Haitian-Americans (refugee).[21] Refugee Camp, while a name sometimes credited to the trio, also refers to a number of artists affiliated with the members, and particularly Jean.
The trio soon changed musical direction, and released its first hip-hop LP,Blunted on Reality, under the guidance ofKool and the Gang's producer Ronald Bell. The group wrote and recorded the album in 1992 at the House of Music Studios inWest Orange, New Jersey. However, due to a dispute with its record label, the album was not released until February 1, 1994. The Fugees' members have subsequently said that they allowed the producers to have too much control over the album's content and form.[22] Although the album did not contain as many lyrics with overtly political messages as songs from their next and better-known albumThe Score, there were still political intentions.[19] ThoughBlunted on Reality spawned the three singles "Boof Baf", "Vocab", and "Nappy Heads", they struggled to gain mainstream attention despite earning plaudits for its artistic quality and innovative use of samples.[23] The album's most successful single was a remixed version of the song "Nappy Heads" produced bySalaam Remi. The remix peaked at number 49 on theBillboard Hot 100.
The musical qualities of the first Fugees record were revisited with their sophomore effortThe Score, which was released in February 1996.The Score was the Fugees' final record before their disbandment the following year.
The Score became one of the biggest hits of 1996 and one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. The Fugees first gained attention for itscover versions of old favorites, with the group's reinterpretations of "No Woman No Cry" byBob Marley & the Wailers and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (first recorded byLori Lieberman in 1971, remade byRoberta Flack in 1973), the latter being their biggest hit.[24]
The album also included a re-interpretation ofThe Delfonics' "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" in their hit single, "Ready or Not",[25] which featured a prominentsample ofEnya's "Boadicea" without the singer's permission. This prompted a lawsuit resulting in a settlement where Enya was given credit and royalties for her sample.[26] The group members have continuously thanked and praised Enya for her deep understanding of the situation, for example in theliner notes ofThe Score.
The Fugees won two1997 Grammy Awards withThe Score (Best Rap Album) and "Killing Me Softly" (Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group).
They produced remixes ofMichael Jackson's "Blood on the Dance Floor" and "2 Bad".[27]
In 1997, the Fugees were featured on the song "Hip-Hopera" byBounty Killer, which spent five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while peaking at number 81.[28] The group also recorded the song "Rumble in the Jungle" featuringBusta Rhymes,A Tribe Called Quest &John Forté, for the 1996 documentaryWhen We Were Kings.[29]
Later that year, the Fugees all began solo projects: Hill began writing and producing for a number of artists (includingWhitney Houston,Aretha Franklin andMary J. Blige) and started work on her critically acclaimedThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; Jean also began producing for a number of artists (includingCanibus,Destiny's Child andCarlos Santana) and released his debut albumWyclef Jean Presents The Carnival; Pras, withMýa andOl' Dirty Bastard, recorded the single "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" for the soundtrack to the filmBulworth. In 1998, they reunited to shoot a music video for the song "Just Happy to Be Me" which appeared in theSesame Street specialElmopalooza, and also on the Grammy Award-winningsoundtrack album.[30]
The three Fugees reunited and performed on September 18, 2004, at the concert inBedford-Stuyvesant,Brooklyn featured in the filmDave Chappelle's Block Party (2004), headlining a star-studded bill that includedKanye West,Mos Def,Jill Scott,Erykah Badu,The Roots,Talib Kweli,Common,Big Daddy Kane,Dead Prez,Cody ChesnuTT andJohn Legend. Their performance received several positive reviews, many of which praised Hill's neara cappella rendition of "Killing Me Softly".[31]
The Fugees made their first televised appearance in almost ten years atBET's 2005 Music Awards on June 28, opening the show with a twelve-minute set.[32] With a new album announced to be in the works, their final track, "Take It Easy", was leaked online and eventually released as anInternet single on September 27, 2005.[33] It peaked at number 40 on theBillboardR&B Chart.[34]
In November 2005, the Fugees embarked on a European tour – the members' first together since 1997 – from 30 November to 20 December, playing inFinland,Austria,Norway,Germany,Italy,France, theUnited Kingdom,Belgium,Denmark,Sweden,Switzerland andSlovakia. The group had been scheduled to play at theHammersmith Apollo on November 25, 2005; however, it was forced to move the gig to December due to production issues.[35] The tour received mixed reviews. On February 6, 2006, the group reunited for a free show in Hollywood, with tickets given away to about 8,000 fans by local radio stations. Later that month, a new track called "Foxy" was leaked, a song dubbed the "real return of the Fugees" by several online music blogs.
However, following the reunion tour, the album that was said to be in the works did not materialize and was postponed indefinitely, as relationships between band members apparently deteriorated. During the recording of the album, the group was plagued with creative differences.[36] They recorded a song titled "Lips Don't Lie", but Hill did not like the song and, after some disagreements over it, the group disbanded again. The song was ultimately given to singerShakira with featured vocals by Jean and after the title was changed to "Hips Don't Lie", the song was released a single and became a global hit.[37] In August 2007, a year after the group's second disbandment, Pras stated, "Before I work with Lauryn Hill again, you will have a better chance of seeingOsama bin Laden and[George W.] Bush inStarbucks having alatte, discussing foreign policies, before there will be a Fugees reunion".[38] Meanwhile, in September 2007, an equally outspoken Wyclef toldBlues & Soul: "I feel the first issue that needs to be addressed is that Lauryn needs help... In my personal opinion, those Fugees reunion shows shouldn't have been done, because we wasn't ready. I really felt we shoulda first all gone into a room with Lauryn and a psychiatrist... But, you know, I do believe Lauryn can get help. And, once she does work things out, hopefully a proper and enduring Fugees reunion will happen."[39] On July 15, 2017, an old song by the Fugees was leaked on Hot 97 radio; this led to reports that the group was reforming, which were later denied by group members on Twitter.
After the group split,Wyclef Jean co-founded and headed theYele Haiti Foundation, a non-profit organization "focusing on emergency relief, employment, youth development and education, and tree planting and agriculture" inHaiti.[40]Pras Michel starred in a documentary about homelessness in Los Angeles and remained outspoken about Haitian politics.[41][42][43] Lauryn Hill continued recording and performing socially conscious music and went on to advocate for female empowerment especially within the music industry.[44][45] The Fugees also turned their recording studio, the Booga Basement, into a transitional house for young Haitian refugees immigrating to the United States.[21]
In September 2021, the Fugees announced a reunion tour to celebrate 25 years of their album,The Score.[46] On Friday, October 29, 2021, the Fugees announced that their reunion tour dates were postponed to early 2022.[47] However, on January 21, 2022, the Fugees released a statement saying they would not be going on tour due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[48] The tour was rescheduled and set to begin in August 2024 but was quietly canceled three days before the first show, with no reason given to customers receiving refunds.[49] The UK leg of the tour did go ahead as planned.
The Fugees have often been referred to as one of the most influential and significant groups of the 1990s,[50][51] withBillboard stating "their influence on modern hip-hop and R&B music is undeniable".[52] They are often considered to be one of the definitivealternative hip hop acts, being one of the first alternative hip hop acts to break into the mainstream.[1][53][2] According toForbes, their success helped establishRuffhouse Records as a major record label.[54]Consequence noted the Fugees for puttingHaiti on the hip hop map.[55]Alternative Press argued that the group paved the way for modern alternative music and stated "If you listen to modern hip-hop today, so many of the new faces went to the Fugees' School of Songwriting."[56]
While Matthew Ismael Ruiz ofPitchfork, noted the group for removing negative connotations ofHaitian immigration and the word 'Refugee',[57] stating that "The Fugees managed to diversify the voice of the ghetto, one often depicted in a single dimension. They reclaimed pride for Haitians worldwide, a heritage maligned for its postcolonialpoverty and strife but still remembered as the setting for the new world’s first successful revolt of enslaved people against their oppressors. Their sound was multifaceted because they were, too, their music diverse, just like theBlack experience."[58]The Ringer noted that the Fugees delivered political messages and brought hip hop to the mainstream in their music by blending elements ofpop,soul,dancehall andCaribbean music, making it more palpable for a wider audience without making the message dense, stating "the Fugees disguised resistance as art, the same way thatenslaved Africans once hid martial arts from their colonial masters by pretending that they were a dance."[59]
Writing forThe Recording Academy, music journalistKathy Iandoli wrote about the impact of the group on the hip hop genre stating:
"As hip-hop'sEast andWest Coasts continued their tussle, their lighter-hearted approach to socially conscious rap curtailed any overarching assumptions that hip-hop was going down a "bad road". Plus, they had Lauryn Hill, who doubled as a songbird and lyrical spitfire. Together, by juxtaposing live instrumentation, soulful melodies and abstract bars, The Fugees gave hip-hop a renewed spirit and propelled it to a different kind ofmainstream".[60]
The group has sold over twenty-two million records worldwide,[61] and are one of the biggest-selling hip hop groups of all time.[62][63] Multiple recording artists have cited the Fugees as an influence, includingBono,[64]Drake,[65]Kanye West,[66]Akon,[67]Black Eyed Peas,[68]Young Thug,[69]Bridgit Mendler,[70]Sean Kingston,[71]Ava Max,[72]Doja Cat,[73]Bastille,[74]The Kid Laroi,[75]Post Malone,[76]DJ Khaled,[77] andDiplo.[78]
The impact of the Fugees has been compared to that of theBeatles, withU2's Bono calling them hip hop's version of the Beatles.[79] Daryl McIntosh ofAlbumism compared the public response from the group's sophomore album,The Score to that ofBeatlemania, referring to it as "Fugee-mania".[80] FormerUnited States PresidentBarack Obama, named the Fugees single "Ready or Not" his favorite song ever.[79][81] Their albumThe Score was placed on thelist of 200 Definitive Albums in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007) byNational association of recording merchandisers (NARM).[82] "Ready or Not" was named among theSongs that Shaped Rock and Roll (2018) by theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[83] The following year, they were inducted into theN.J. Pop & Rock Hall.[84]
A photograph of the group taken in 1994, has been stored and collected by theSmithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.[85] In 2020,The Score ranked 134th on the revised version ofRolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[86] The following year, their version of "Killing Me Softly" was placed on the revised version ofRolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[87]MTV ranked it the ninth-greatest hip-hop group of all time (2007).BET placed the group on its list of 'Hip Hop's Greatest Trios' (2012).
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